On August 5th, the Arseniev State Museum and U.S. Consulate General jointly hosted a public presentation of the 15-minute documentary “Letters of Happiness,” dedicated to celebrated American chronicler Eleanor L. Prey. The film presents the story of Eleanor L. Prey, whose thousands of letters home from Vladivostok from 1894 -1930 captured the daily life and great historical events in of the Russian Far East throughout those tumultuous times. The film was shot during a Consulate supported expedition by representatives of the Arseniev Museum along with acclaimed TV production company IVD KINO in the fall of 2015 to the Prey’s birthplace of South Berwick, Maine. The Russian crew’s expedition stirred up excitement in Maine as well, prompting locals to research the story of their famous fellow countrywoman. The presentation of the movie attracted a number of Vladivostok luminaries, members of the local historical club, and assorted media representatives.
